Women’s club donates bell

SHEILA MASSON/The Acorn NEW ATTRACTION--Cathy Stewart of Westlake Women's Club speaks at the recent El Camino Real bell dedication in Thousand Oaks. Dennis Gillette, a T.O. councilman, stands in the background.

To help remember California history, the Westlake Women’s Club donated a replica of the El Camino Real mission bell last Friday morning on a sidewalk in front of the Gardens of the World park area in Thousand Oaks, across from the Civic Arts Plaza.

Conejo Valley-Las Virgenes is located along the celebrated route of El Camino Real ("The King’s Highway") and Gardens of the World is a significant site to commemorate and re-establish the historic highway. El Camino Real was eventually replaced by U.S. Highway 101 and Interstate 5. The original long-standing route was first established in 1769, linking California’s 21 missions from San Diego to San Francisco.

"The city of Thousand Oaks is proud to be the recipient of this bell," said City Councilman Dennis Gillette, who led the dedication ceremony. Other councilmembers participating were Dan Del Campo and Linda Parks who thanked Westlake Women’s Club for the bell.

"We dedicate this bell to the history of our great state of California," said Del Campo.

Originally, 450 bells were placed along El Camino Real between 1905 and 1915. Burglars and vandals reduced that number of bells to a mere 75 just 60 years after the initial placement. In response to the loss, the state legislature in 1974 appointed Caltrans as guardian of the bells. In 1996, Caltrans began an "Adopt-A-Bell" program.

The state of California has replaced 244 bells in all. The bells, once made of cast iron, are now in concrete to discourage thieves.

Following Friday’s ceremony was a reception, appropriately hosted in the Mission Courtyard at Gardens of the World. The refined Spanish adobe style pavilion is surrounded by olive, citrus and fig trees among cactus and other popular California foliage.

A statue of Father Serra, the Franciscan Friar who established the first mission at San Diego de Alcala, welcomes guests as they enter the Mission Courtyard. The walls of the courtyard are adorned by charming paintings of all 21 California missions.

Westlake Women’s Club’s vice-president, Helene Ross, and member Jodie Jennings are responsible for getting the bell for the city of Thousand Oaks and for chairing the event which has been in the works for two years.

This is the second bell Westlake Women’s Club has given to the community. The first bell, dedicated last March, is located at the corner of Lakeview Canyon and Agoura roads, just outside Westlake’s First Neighborhood.

Westlake Women’s Club will celebrate a 34th anniversary next month.